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TCA Names James Mozey Newest Highway Angel

An elderly man survived an accident thanks to the heroism of James Mozey of Niagra, N.D. For his actions, the Truckload Carriers Association is recognizing Mozey as a Highway Angel.

Mozey is a firefighter and emergency medical technician for the Grand Forks Air Force Base who earns extra money by driving trucks part-time for Britton Transport, also located in Grand Forks. On Jan. 9, at about 10 a.m., he was driving for Britton when he came across a crash on I-29, about 15 miles north of Grand Forks.

The roads that day were extremely icy, and it was very cold. Mozey, who was headed northbound, came across a pickup truck going south that had spun into a ditch and flipped onto its passenger side. It was now lying in the northbound lane with its driver pinned in by the crushed roof.

Mozey stopped, assessed the scene and climbed in. He proceeded to manually stabilize the man’s neck and keep him warm with his own body heat. When the first responders arrived, Mozey said he was in control of the situation and offered to remain with the man while they worked to extract him, a process that took more than 45 minutes. Throughout the ordeal—and despite the frigid temperature, flying glass, and tearing metal as the roof was ripped off—he stayed in place, continuously holding the man’s neck and protecting him from the elements with a blanket that someone provided.

The manager of the ambulance service that responded that day later called Britton Transport to say that his staff was tremendously impressed by Mozey’s fortitude. “My guys thought he did a tremendous job and probably saved this individual’s life,” he said. “He was quick to get in there. Instead of just sitting in his vehicle, he actively took initiative to do something.”

In recognition of Mozey’s status as a TCA Highway Angel, he has been presented with a certificate, patch, and lapel pin. Britton Transport also received a certificate acknowledging that one of its drivers is a Highway Angel.